Ancient Egyptian Sports

Ancient Egyptian SportsThe Ancient Egyptians enjoyed a variety of different sports. Various sports have been depicted in various paintings and in ancient documents providing significant information about this subject. Sporting artefacts have also been found in tombs. The Ancient Egyptians were also known to enjoy competitive sports and were an exciting form of entertainment. The winners of sports contests were rewarded with money and special large collars known as the usekh which half covered the shoulders and chest. Many of the competitive Ancient Egyptian sports are still featured in the Olympic Games.

Ancient Egyptian Sports and Pastimes - Hunting and FishingThe Ancient Egyptians enjoyed sports related activities such as hunting and fishing. Hunting could be an extremely dangerous sport due to the wild nature of the animals which were hunted. The Ancient Egyptians used hunting dogs to help them capture their prey. Sighthounds have exceptional eyesight, combined with the speed and stamina necessary to catch the intended prey. The Pharaoh Hound originated in ancient Egypt and was bred primarily as a sight hound to hunt gazelle and other small game. It is no coincidence that the Pharaoh Hound's likeness in Egyptian art so strongly resembles the Egyptian jackal god, Anubis, the Watchdog of the Dead, in fact the Pharaoh Hound is the oldest domesticated dog in written records, dating back to before 3,000 B.C. The animals which were hunted by the Ancient Egyptians include the following:

Badger

Crocodile

Deer

Elephant

Fox

Gazelle

Giraffe

Hare

Hippopotamus

Hyena

Ibex

Jackal

Leopard

Lion

Oryx

Ostrich

Porcupine

Rhinoceros

Weasel

Although hunting was a popular sport the hunted animals had many uses. The most obvious was to use the meat for eating. But other uses were for their skins or feathers. Ivory came from the tusk of the elephant and the teeth of the hippopotamus. Some animals were taken alive to be used as offerings to the gods. These were kept in zoos, a little known invention of the Ancient Egyptians.

Ancient Egyptian SportsEach section of this Egyptian website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about the Golden Age of Egypt. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of Egypt, the Ancient Egyptians and of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, King Tut.